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Niko Brosca
"I'll show them all, big sister. I'll show the whole world I'm so much more than dust." '' Introduction Niko Brosca is a Grey Warden of Ferelden who was instrumental in stopping the Fifth Blight. She was born in the slums of Orzammar as a casteless dwarf. She lived with her mother, Kalah, and her older half-sister, Rica. She was bound to serve the Carta crime lord, Beraht, until circumstances allowed her to participate in a Proving disguised as a Warrior Caste fighter. When the crowds discovered her identity, Duncan of the Grey Wardens decided to recruit her. Niko then traveled across the land and called upon the factions that had signed treaties with the Grey Wardens to stop the risen Archdemon. Overview Physical Appearance Niko is of average height and build by dwarven standards. She has dirty blonde hair that reaches below her shoulders when down, and often keeps it up in a simple bun. Her eyes are light brown. She has a fairly angular face, with a sharp chin, severe cheekbones, and a high brow. Her skin tone is very fair. She has many faint scars all over her arms, legs, back and neck as a result of her work for the Carta. She has the casteless "brand" on her right cheek. Personality Niko is quiet and pragmatic. She holds others at arms' length until she gets to know them, and only then does her dry sense of humor come through. Despite her unsavory line of work, she does not relish hurting or killing others, unless they are evil and cruel. She is a shrewd judge of character and adaptable in a crisis as well as combat. However, she also lets her emotions get the better of her, especially when she thinks that ordinary people are the pawns of the powerful and the corrupt. She is also cynical and tends to expect the worst of people, given her upbringing in Orzammar as a casteless Carta member. Talents and Skills Niko is a skilled dual-wielding rogue who specializes in precise and incapacitating attacks. She has a fondness for using shock bombs and fire flasks to devastate many enemies at once. Given the option, however, she tries to talk her way out of a confrontation. She is an expert pickpocket, and a novice in poison making and herbalism prior to her travels across Ferelden. She is somewhat skilled at trap making and lock picking. She can read and write in Common, thanks to Rica. She can also speak a smattering of dwarva. Biography History Niko grew up in the Orzammar slum of Dust Town. Niko's relationship with Kalah was tense and confrontational, but she got along famously with Rica. Knowing that her options were limited to becoming a noble hunter or a dangerous thug, Niko cultivated a fearsome reputation to protect her family. She committed her first kill when a Carta smuggler attacked Rica. Beraht, the Carta crime lord, threatened her family if Niko didn't find some way to "pay for the damages" she had caused. She started working for him and met Leske soon after, and the two became fast friends. Rica was also groomed by Beraht as a noble hunter, and he kept Niko around by forcing her to pay for Rica's expensive new wardrobe and reading and music lessons. Niko ended up fighting in the Proving held in the Grey Wardens' honour, disguised as a Warrior Caste fighter. When the city guard cornered her, she accepted Duncan's offer to join the Grey Wardens after Rica and Leske convinced her to leave. In-Game '''Broken Circle: '''Allied with the Mages. '''The Arl of Redcliffe: '''Helped defend Recliffe Village. Both Isolde and Connor lived with the Circle's aid. '''Nature of the Beast: '''Allied with the Dalish and broke the curse. '''The Urn of Sacred Ashes: '''Killed the cultists and took a pinch of the Ashes. '''A Paragon of Her Kind: '''Crowned Prince Bhelen Aeducan. Destroyed the Anvil of the Void. '''The Landsmeet: '''Alistair fought Loghain in single combat and killed him. Anora ruled alone. '''The Battle of Denerim: '''Morrigan's ritual was rejected by Niko. Alistair died striking the killing blow. '''Witch Hunt: '''Niko allowed Morrigan to go through the Eluvian peacefully. '''Awakening: '''Niko killed the Architect. She saved the city of Amaranthine and Vigil's Keep. Post-Game In the months that followed, Niko's family was risen up to Warrior Caste, and after months of deliberation, Orzammar's Assembly unanimously declared Niko a Paragon. A new house was founded in her name, and it quickly became the largest house in Orzammar, as it attracted many casteless. Niko was also named Warden-Commander and Arlessa of Amaranthine. After she killed the Architect and protected the city from the darkspawn, she eventually left her post. She began a search for a cure to the Calling. Her journeys have taken her far to the west, to lands that have never known a Blight. Relationships '''Alistair:' Niko was quite fond of Alistair. His openness, kindness and sense of humor was a refreshing change from the usual suspects that could be found in Dust Town. They saw eye to eye on most things, and relied on each other for support when the weight of their task seemed too heavy a burden to bear. Niko was devastated when Alistair died fighting the Archdemon, and she vowed to keep his memory alive by being the best Grey Warden she could be. Morrigan: Being wary of magic and its dangers, Niko and Morrigan were initially cool toward each other. They eventually became friends by bonding over their messy familial situations, and Niko came to trust her more. However, this trust did not supersede her fear that Morrigan's ritual might go awry, and thus she turned her down. She regretted not trusting her friend, and the sour note upon which they parted. When she went in search of her and found her again, she felt they parted on much kinder terms. Leliana: Niko was amused by Leliana's tales and her singing, and liked her compassionate streak. However, she was uncomfortable with how zealous she could be, given that Niko herself was unsure what she believed. Still, they got along well, and they often gossiped and laughed together in camp. Niko stood by her side when Marjolaine resurfaced and threatened Leliana's safety. Niko considered her to be one of her dearest friends, and stayed in contact with her after the events of the Fifth Blight. Zevran Arainai: Given that they met when Zevran made an attempt on her life, their initial interactions were rocky. However, Niko recognized how he hid his true emotions behind a blase and seemingly careless facade; something she was all too familiar with. They became closer, and she ended up considering Zevran a dear friend to whom she was fiercely loyal. Zevran also stayed by her side when Taliesen re-appeared, allowing him to slip out of the Crows' grasp. Wynne: '''Niko found Wynne to be condescending and a constant source of unsolicited advice. She was also very nervous around her upon learning that she was possessed by a spirit, no matter the spirit's intentions. Their relationship never progressed beyond polite professionalism and occasionally commiserating about the events of their travels. '''Sten: Niko didn't know what to make of Sten, and was intimidated by his height and strength. But they bonded over finding Ferelden strange and foreign, and Niko dutifully followed leads to find and recover Sten's sword. From then on, they enjoyed each other's company and became close friends - or as close as Sten would allow anyone to get. Shale: She had never seen a golem up close before, and thus Niko found Shale to be an object of fascination. Niko also enjoyed Shale's sense of humour greatly, and was impressed by their strength and power. Upon learning how golems were made, however, Niko sympathized with Shale's confusion and uncertainty regarding their past. Niko was proud to have Shale stand by her side against the Blight. Oghren: Of all her companions, Oghren was the only one Niko truly hated. She only allowed him to accompany her party because they needed all the help they could get. He represented everything she had come to fear: a drunken man with the power to end her life, simply because he felt like it. She could see flashes of intelligence and thoughtfulness when he was sober, but his treatment of the women he traveled with meant that Niko was cold toward him, event during their time at Amaranthine. Fang: '''Niko adored her mabari companion. At first, she was unsure what to make of him, having never seen a dog in the flesh before. Overtime, however, he became a great comfort to her when she had nightmares, and was loyal to a fault. Because of Fang, she became a dog person. '''Sigrun: Niko and Sigrun were thick as thieves practically from the start. Having both been born and raised as casteless dwarves in Orzammar, they shared stories that were meaningless to the others and laughed for hours about the goings-on of the Assembly and the Carta. Niko also greatly admired Sigrun's decision to join the Legion of the Dead, as she herself had decided to join it should anything ever happen to her family. Niko considered Sigrun one of her dearest friends. Velanna: Niko wasn't keen on Velanna's potent and occasionally reckless magic, but appreciated her no-nonsense attitude and her sharp intelligence. With patience, the awkwardness of their initial exchanges melted away. They became good friends and were often seen laughing loudly and grinning wickedly at the others during training, much to their concern and dismay. Anders: Given his penchant for making inappropriate comments toward the women in their party, Niko never warmed to Anders as she did to Velanna. She was cool toward him, and snapped at him whenever he said something off-colour or rude. His sense of humour didn't mesh well with hers either, so their relationship was essentially non-existent. Justice: Being a spirit possessing a human body, Niko could think of few creatures that made her hair stand on end in the same way. Still, she had been ordered to replenish the order's numbers in Ferelden, and replenish them she did. She also found his sense of right and wrong to be insufferably short-sighted or without nuance, making any philosophical conversations a frustrating endeavor on her part. Nathaniel Howe: '''Niko knew what it was like to be judged for the crimes of one's family, and so she let Nathaniel go after he had been caught and imprisoned for sneaking around the Keep. She was surprised that he returned to join the Grey Wardens, apparently touched by her show of mercy. While he seemed dour, Niko was able to draw him out of his shell and they became fast friends, talking for hours into the night about inconsequential things. Nathaniel was one of Niko's dearest friends that she tried to stay in contact with after she left Amaranthine behind. Titles '''Grey Warden: '''Warden-Commander of Ferelden '''Ferelden: Champion of Redcliffe; Arlessa of Amaranthine; Hero of Ferelden Dwarven: Champion of the Proving; Paragon Other: Dark Wolf Miscellaneous Niko was born on the 27th of Harvestmere in 9:07 Dragon. Her alignment is Neutral Good. She considers herself bisexual, but has no strong preference for any gender over another. Niko is left-handed. She had to discipline herself to fight right-handed by tying her left hand behind her back. Niko is fascinated by plants and fungi and collected many pressed and dried specimens in her journal. She has a great ear for music. When Rica was learning to play the string-harp, Niko helped her practice. Because she grew up with a violent drunk, Niko doesn't drink. Category:Hero of Ferelden